The sliding door of Nocker Mart slid open with a rattle. The first three entered the shop—Creena Village's only store, a small wooden single-story building with a sales floor of roughly sixty tsubo. Behind the register counter, Miriya Nocker, the shop owner, looked up. Forty-eight years old. Third generation. Normally she could greet customers cheerfully with "Welcome." "Oh—" Fleeks Gon came in. Zoldyck Killua came in. Paradinight Leorio came in. Three people. Well, students probably. Then a fourth came through the door. A fifth. A sixth. By the seventh, Miriya set down the plastic bag she'd been holding on the counter. Wait, is this a large group? An eighth. A ninth. And then—a man with a pale face and needle-like light glinting in his eyes entered. Beside him came a jester-like man, fingers dancing in circles, smiling thinly. Miriya's hand gripped the shelf. "[surprised]…Welcome," Her voice trembled slightly. Her smile was strained. She wanted to say "please," but her mouth wouldn't move. Fleeks Gon turned back cheerfully. "[excited]Thank you for having us!" His smile was the only normal thing in this shop. --- The shop's aisles were just wide enough for one person to pass through comfortably. Eleven people fit inside. Shoulders bumped shelves. Every time someone turned around, they collided with someone else. Paradinight Leorio rolled up his sleeves. "[excited]Alright! I'm picking the ingredients! This time I'm making a perfect dinner!" Three seconds after that declaration, everyone scattered in different directions. At the fresh fish counter, the moment Leorio reached for tonight's main dish, a wrinkled hand extended from the side. It was Chairman Netero. His white eyebrows furrowed as he stared intently at the lined-up fish. "[serious]This one won't do," "[surprised]Huh?" "[serious]Its eyes are dead. The freshness has faded," Leorio picked up a different fish. "[serious]How about this one then!" "[serious]That one's eyes are cloudy too," "[angry]What about this one!?" "[gentle]…Mm. This one has good eyes," Leorio's face said "third one already," but Chairman Netero had already moved his interest to another shelf. Carefree and completely unrepentant. A man estimated to be over one hundred and ten years old diagnosing the eyes of fresh fish was surreal no matter how you looked at it. At the meat counter, Biscuit kept picking up packages one after another, then putting them back. "[serious]This meat has too much fat. A woman's enemy," Pak. Back on the shelf. "[serious]This too. This one has too much marbling," Pak, pak. "[angry]But I'm the one eating it!!" He shouted from the fish counter but was completely ignored. Biscuit was on her tenth package, reading the label carefully. She looked like a girl barely ten years old, but her actual age was fifty-seven. About her eye for meat, she said without hesitation, "Half my life has been food experience." At the fruit counter, Hisoka picked up one apple. Spin. The apple rotated on his fingertip. Another one. With a card-shuffling motion, two apples danced in the air. Miriya stepped halfway out from behind the counter, her face pale. "[scared]If they fall—" Hisoka caught them perfectly. Two apples settled silently into his hands. "[sarcastic]I'll buy them♦" He smiled and put both in his basket. Miriya returned to the counter. Her hands trembled slightly. Ignoring the commotion, only Fleeks Gon quietly placed potatoes and onions into his basket at the vegetable section. He checked the weight of each one by hand, selecting the ones in good condition. Eyes trained by fishing. The only one actually making progress with shopping in this store. --- A subtle tension began drifting from the candy aisle. Illumi Zoldyck stood in front of the shelf, expressionless. Thin fingers picked up a chocolate package. Into the basket. Next, gummies. Into the basket. Cookies. Into the basket. Killua passed by and stopped. He looked into the basket. "[serious]I'm picking my own," He took two chocolates from Illumi's basket and put them back on the shelf. One package of gummies too. Illumi said nothing. Then, quietly, she put the same chocolate back in the basket. Two of them. Killua looked. His face said "what?" "[serious]…That's why I took them out," Illumi put the same item in the basket again. Killua took it out. Illumi put it in. Killua took it out. A completely silent exchange. Illumi's expression didn't change. Killua's face said "seriously" as he methodically kept putting things back. Leorio watched from the side and whispered to Kurapika beside him. "[whispers]…That's rough," Kurapika nodded once, quietly. Neither said anything more. The seasoning aisle alone was mysteriously quiet. Chrollo Lucilfer took out an unfamiliar spice bottle from the shelf and read the label. A black-covered book tucked under his arm, he wrote something on a small memo paper stuck in as a bookmark. No one approached that area. There was no reason to. When Chrollo finished writing the memo, he put one spice bottle in his basket. In the corner of the memo, place names and what looked like people's names were scrawled—but no one noticed. --- All the customers' items piled up at the register. Miriya saw the quantity and took one long breath. Professional. She began calculating. Moraou Maccarnashi stepped forward in front of everyone. His massive frame blocked the aisle. "[serious]I'll carry all the bags," His voice was low. He spread his large arms wide. One finished bag, then another, piled up in Moraou's arms. Six, seven, eight. When both arms were full, Moraou unhesitatingly hung two bags around his neck. He stood straight. Like a mountain. Leorio looked at that figure, paused for a moment, then spoke. "[serious]…Well. If you're reflecting on it, that's fine," Kurapika nodded silently. "[serious]Let's split the cost," At that voice, Hisoka stood a playing card between his fingers. "[sarcastic]But I didn't eat♦" "[angry]You ate yesterday's dinner too!!" "[sarcastic]That was delicious♠" The conversation drifted. Leorio's face said "that's not what I'm asking!" Fleeks Gon raised his hand quickly. "[gentle]Then I'll pay for Hisoka's share!" Zoldyck Killua spoke immediately. "[serious]Why are you paying for him," Hisoka's eyes narrowed pleasantly. "[gentle]Gon is so kind♦" Leorio looked up at the ceiling. Kurapika quietly took out their own wallet. In the end, they settled on each person paying for their own share. While ringing up, Miriya casually checked the shelf condition. Nothing was missing. Nothing was broken. —We made it through another day safely. --- Outside Nocker Mart, the western sky had turned red. One road through Creena Hill. The maples on both sides were dyed by the sunset, and everyone's shadows stretched long across the gravel path. Moraou, carrying a mountain of bags, walked at the front, with everyone else trailing behind. Toward the back of the line, Fleeks Gon and Zoldyck Killua walked together. Gon slowed his pace slightly and looked back. Moraou carrying a mountain of bags. Leorio looking satisfied with "perfectly selected ingredients." Kurapika at a quiet pace. Several meters behind them, Chrollo and Kurapika walking at different paces but in the same direction. Biscuit walking at her own pace. Hisoka biting an apple from his pocket. Chairman Netero walking slowly. Illumi trying to get closer to Killua's side, only to be dodged again. Gon laughed. Everyone here was someone who shouldn't normally be in the same place. But today, they came to buy ingredients. For that reason alone, everyone was walking in the same direction. "[serious]What are you doing," Killua came back. "[excited]Nothing!" Gon started walking. The sunset dyed the hill's trees red. --- Back at Lodge Palma, Chairman Netero retied his apron and turned to face everyone. "[gentle]Then, shall we begin," "[serious]Killua, you're on onion mincing," "[serious]Why me too…" Even as he said it, Killua picked up a knife. With the technique of an assassination family, he began chopping onions. They became minced in no time. Except his eyes watered. Under his silver hair, his eyes turned red. Chrollo began setting out plates without a word. Taking dishes from the shelf, quietly arranging them on the dining table. Biscuit saw that. "[surprised]You're surprisingly capable," Chrollo didn't answer. He just took out the next plate. Hisoka came into the kitchen. "[sarcastic]I'm just eating♠" Chairman Netero turned toward him. "[gentle]Then you're washing dishes," "[surprised]…Huh?" "[gentle]You eat, you wash. That's the way of things," Hisoka headed to the sink with a bitter expression. Leorio threw himself into peeling vegetables. Holding a peeler, he applied it to a potato. Ten seconds later. "[sad]Ow!!" A plate clattered. Quiet footsteps. Kurapika opened the first aid kit on the kitchen wall. Took out one bandage and came to Leorio. Said nothing. Just took Leorio's left hand and applied the bandage. Leorio looked at Kurapika's face for a moment. "[gentle]…You're surprisingly kind," Kurapika released his hand. "[cold]Shut up," It was short. But the corner of their mouth moved slightly. Not a smile. But not stiff either. Only Killua, mincing onions, watched it from the corner of his eye. He kept chopping without saying anything. --- The finished dishes were arranged on the dining table. White steam rose. Simmered vegetables made under Chairman Netero's direction, stir-fry handled by Gon and Killua, side dishes supervised by Biscuit. Plates for everyone. The ones Chrollo had arranged. Everyone took their seats. Fleeks Gon put his hands together. "[excited]Eating together with everyone is the best!" For a moment, everyone was silent. Hisoka smiled thinly. Chrollo quietly closed his book and picked up a fork. Biscuit smiled with a "well, not bad" expression. Chairman Netero nodded. Kurapika silently took up chopsticks. "[excited]Three days of hard work! Cheers!!" Cups were raised. Not everyone's. But some definitely were. Killua placed a box of Choco Robo Kun to the side for dessert and picked up a spoon. "[serious]…Yeah," It was small. But he said it clearly. The meal began. The aroma of the broth spread from the kitchen to the dining room. Outside the window was already dark. The sound of the Sepina River drifted from far away. --- After the meal. Empty plates lined the table. Hisoka headed to the sink. His expression was bitter. Fleeks Gon stood up. "[excited]Let's do this again next year!" Zoldyck Killua gave a wry smile. "[serious]Am I getting invited next year too…" But he didn't deny it. Preparations to leave began. Picking up bags, heading toward the entrance. Chairs scraped. Someone walked down the hallway. Illumi Zoldyck, holding her bag, turned around. "[cold]Next time, I will be in charge," Expressionless. Her voice was flat. Everyone stopped. No one moved. No one could say anything. Silence spread. Only Hisoka, washing dishes, tilted his head slightly, but did nothing more. Fleeks Gon started to open his mouth. Zoldyck Killua's eyes said "don't." Gon closed it. No one said anything. Time just passed. --- Epilogue. Jovan Pailey, the lodge manager, walked down the hallway of Lodge Palma with a flashlight. Sixty-two years old, former D-rank Hunter. It was his habit to inspect the facility after each checkout. The living room wall. The window frame. The kitchen floor. No problems. He reached beside the fireplace. He shone the light. A thin crack ran across the plaster wall. "[serious]…Compensation. One hundred twenty thousand Jenny…" He just said that and wrote it in his notepad. Meanwhile, a black book lay forgotten on the table. Chrollo's book. The memo paper stuck in as a bookmark peeked out slightly. Ingredient names and quantities, scrawled notes of Chairman Ne